A few months ago, I discovered Lani Hair on Instagram, and I was really intrigued by their beautiful photos, raving customer reviews, and pretty hair oil bottles. I began following them and was super intrigued by their products- hair oil, body oil, and face serum.

WHAT IT IS

Lani Hair is a totally natural (i.e. no chemicals or anything crappy) combination of oils designed to hydrate your hair. It is vegan, cruelty free, natural, and smells delicious. The bottles are pretty small, and this kind of disappointed me at first, but they are deceiving and actually last way longer than you’d think! I got mine a month and a half ago and still have lots left (and I have a lot of hair)!

MY EXPERIENCE

I got my first bottle of Lani Hair last month while I was in New York, and I have to say I am loving it (note: this is not a paid or sponsored post, it’s just my personal experience)! To be honest, while I loved their Instagram feed, I kind of thought that maybe all the reviews were just hype. I’d been using coconut oil on my hair for years, and I didn’t really see why Lani Hair would be any different than that. But I was intrigued, and it’s sold in Urban Outfitters in NYC (other than that you need to order online), so I picked up a bottle and gave it a try.

My hair really did feel softer after one use, no exaggeration. I felt a very noticeable difference after using it just one. I continue to use it about every second time I wash my hair (at first I was doing it every time, but my hair started to feel a bit heavy, so I added a bit of baking soda to my shampoo to clarify my hair and then went to using Lani on every second wash). My hair is feeling softer than it has in a long time!

HOW TO USE IT

I apply to my hair and roots (adding in a little scalp massage ) and leave it in overnight (it doesn’t stain my pillow at all, but you can cover your pillow with a towel if you’re worried about that). Then I shampoo it out in the morning. Easy peasy.

I haven’t tried their body oil or face serum, but I definitely plan to because if they’re anything like the hair oil, I will love them!

I love exfoliating: I exfoliate my body, my face, and my feet- so basically everything, and I want to share what I consider to be the best ways to exfoliate.

Exfoliating is basically a process which removes the top layer of old skin cells, leaving you with softer, smoother, fresher skin. There are tons of expensive exfoliating products out there, but in my opinion, there is no need to spend a lot of money on it. As always, the best things are always simple.

Here’s my exfoliation run down.

Body BrushingA body brush is a brush that you use on your skin to whisk away dry skin and dead skin cells. It’s also an amazing way to get your lymphatic system pumping and gently aid in your body’s detoxification process. To use your body brush, you want to brush before you get into the shower or bath, on dry skin. Brush in large circles or sweeping strokes towards your heart; so for example, start at your ankles and work up to you knees, then knees to hips, lower belly to upper belly, wrist to elbow, etc.
You can also use the brush (gently) on your bikini line to help with any irritation or razor burn.

Homemade Body Scrubs
You can also make really great body scrubs at home to use either instead of or in addition to your body brush.

My favourites are olive oil or coconut oil mixed with salt, coffee grinds, and or sugar. Mix any combo of the above ingredients together, and apply to your skin prior to showering (I usually stand in the tub when applying it to minimize the mess). Then just rinse off in the shower- don’t worry about scrubbing the oil off- it will sink into your skin and double as a moisturizer.

Facial Brushes/Sponges
Much like a body brush, you can use a brush or a sponge to exfoliate your skin. The bristles will be softer than your body brush because the skin on your face is more delicate. I use a sponge probably use it 2-3 times per week. Just wet the sponge or brush, and gently scrub your face moving in a circular motion.

Konjac Sponge
Konjac sponges originated in Asia, and they’re actually the root of the konjac plant. The sponge has a cool squishy feel and is great if you have sensitive skin because it is a really gentle exfoliator. I actually am not sure if it’s technically considered to be an exfoliator, but it helps to unclog your pores and it leaves your face feeling smooth, so same diff. I found mine at the drug store (Quo at Shopper’s Drug Mart, if you live in Canada), but you can also find them online and at Sephora.

Homemade Facial Scrubs
You can also make really great facial scrubs at home. I like to mix white sugar with a small amount of water (not too much or it will dissolve the sugar) and rub it over my skin. Rinse it off and follow up with a nice moisturizer (I use grapeseed oil).

Pumice Stones
Lastly, we can’t forget about our feet! My friend shamed me into getting a pumice stone this summer after seeing my umm.. somewhat dry heels. I use one of the handled ones (the silver one in the photo), and I find it’s best to use it when you’re feet are damp (i.e. after your shower, dry your feet off and then scrub away). All you need is a quick scrub every couple of days to keep your heels in check.

I really do notice a difference in the feeling and texture of my skin if I skimp on my exfoliating routine! It’s minimal effort that makes a big difference.

I haven’t been posting much lately for two reasons. 1) I just moved to NYC, so things have been pretty busy, and 2) I have been thinking of changing up the look and style of my blog, so I’ve been slowing working out what I want my new direction to be.

But today I wanted to share a post that I’ve been meaning to write for a long time: A Complete Guide to Natural Beauty.

A few years ago, I began converting my beauty and body products from chemical filled drug store brands to really natural alternatives- many of which you can find in your kitchen!

I am so happy with my simplified and natural beauty routine. I love knowing that I have drastically cut down on the chemicals I’m putting on my body and that every product that I’ve converted to works so well.

Feel free to try one or all of these suggestions- you don’t need to change your beauty routine all at once. Just making small conversions to natural products is awesome.

Natural Beauty for Your Face

Facewash: I wash my face with honey. I have dry skin, and nothing has helped my skin like honey has. Before I began using it, my face would be tight and itchy every time I washed it, but with honey my skin feels great. It’s so easy- just apply honey to your face (raw is best but not necessary) and then rinse it off like you would any normal face wash. I do this in the evening (and I just use water in the morning). If you are vegan and do not use honey, you can also check out the Oil Cleansing Method, which I also love but find it does dry my face slightly.

Moisturizer: I use aloe vera gel (Nature’s Aid) as a moisturizer in the morning and oil at night. For oil, I mix it up and just use whatever I have on hand- grapeseed, coconut, almond, and sesame oils are all good.

Eye Treatment: I put castor oil around my eyes before going to bed. you only need a small amount, and it’s great for taking care of the delicate skin around your eyes and eliminating fine lines.

Exfoliator: I love exfoliators so much. My skin feels so good after a scrub! I recommend two super simple options: 1.) make a mixture of sugar with a small amount of water and rub over your face. 2.) use an exfoliating sponge.

Teeth: Okay, don’t judge me, but I don’t use toothpaste! I did a little research, and it turns out you don’t need it, and it can even cause more harm than good. I don’t have a ton of info on it, so if you’re interested, do a little research online. I still use a toothbrush but just don’t use toothpaste. Occasionally I will dip my tooth brush in baking soda or sea salt for a deep clean/extra whitening, but for the most part it’s just my brush and water.
If you think it’s weird/gross, that’s fine, but just take a look at the long list of ingredients on commercial toothpastes and ask yourself- does it really make sense that I would need all of these chemicals to keep my teeth clean?

Natural Beauty for Your Body

Soap: I actually don’t use soap. Yes it sounds weird, but honestly you don’t need it, and in fact soap messes with the pH of your skin and dries it out. Have you seen the list of unnatural ingredients in soap and body washes? It just doesn’t make sense that you need these in order to be clean. Plain water works. If you happen to be really sweaty, then go for some natural soap, but day to day, try skipping it and see how you feel.

Exfoliator: I love my body brush so much! It’s such an amazing way to keep your skin smooth and to detox your body by stimulating lymph flow. Plus I (and many people, especially women) get little bumps on my legs (it’s also common to get them on the backs of your arms) called Keratosis Pilaris, and body brushing totally gets rid of them.

Deodorant: I’ve written about it before, but I make my own deodorant, and it is SO simple and effective! I originally found the recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots– just mash together 1/8 cup cornstarch, 1/8 cup baking soda, and 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil. You can use your fingers to apply it, or you can store it in the fridge so it stays cold and apply it like a stick.

Body Powder: If you’re prone to razor burn or ingrown hairs from shaving, cornstarch is an amazing thing to have on hand! Bumps along your bikini line or inner thighs are often caused by moisture, so by dabbing on some cornstarch on the areas after showering, you absorb any left over moisture and eliminate bumps and irritation.

Natural Beauty Treatments for Your Hair

Hair Mask: Coconut oil of course! Seriously how many articles have been written about coconut oil?? But it’s for good reason because it is an excellent way to moisturize your hair. I apply it to my hair and let it sit either over night or at least for a few hours before washing out with shampoo (you may need two rounds of shampoo) and then follow up with conditioner.

Hair Growth/Scalp Support: Another aah-mazing oil for your hair is castor oil. Apply a small amount to your scalp (parting your hair and applying directly on the scalp), allow to sink in overnight, and then wash out in the morning. I was hesitant to try this at first because castor oil is so thick, but honestly, most of it sinks into your scalp and the remaining amount washed out easily. Excellent for nourishing the scalp and promoting hair growth.

Hair Clarifier: A really great way to remove build up on your hair and scalp is with an apple cider vinegar spray. Mix 1 part ACV with 2 parts water into a spray bottle and spray all over your hair and scalp. Allow to sit for 20 minutes and then rinse out with shampoo and follow with conditioner.

Scalp Massage: Massaging your scalp is a great way to remove scalp build up and and stimulate blood flow which promotes stronger, healthier hair. Plus it feels great.

So that is a basic run down of my natural beauty products/treatments. In conclusion, here is a list of the products mentioned.

Last week, the eBook version of my workshop, Glow: A Yogic Guide to Natural Beauty, went up for sale. It focuses on beauty from an energetic/holistic perspective and offers tons ofttimes, tools, and techniques for enhancing your inner and outer beauty. It also includes a head to toeguide to converting your store bought products to natural alternatives.

Now I’m working on a new upcoming eBook on natural beauty, where I’ll be sharing all of my favourite homemade natural beauty recipes and treatments. I’m going to be including this super simple body oil recipe, but I didn’t want to wait for the eBook to share it with you!

I love the smell of vanilla, I love shimmer, and I love simple things. This body oil is all three of these, so I am #inlovewithit!

When it comes to beauty products, and anything, I like to keep it as simple as possible. In place of body lotions, I moisturize with oil- usually coconut oil, but also grape seed, almond, sesame, or whatever I have on hand.

The other day I mixed up my regular coconut oil by adding a couple of ingredients to make the Vanilla Shimmer Body Oil.

The proportions are up to you, depending on how strong you want the smell and how much shimmer you want, so just start with a small amount of shimmer and 15 drops of vanilla oil per half cup of coconut oil and take it from there. You want to start really small with the shimmer- a little goes a long way! I really just dusted a bit on and kept adding tiny amounts until I got the amount I wanted. You want a subtle glow, not a Vegas glitter fest (or if you want a Vegas glitter fest than be my guest and add as much as you want).

Thats it! Mix it up and apply as you would your regular moisturizer. Your skin will look all glowy and smooth and you will smell delicious.

I attempted to take a photo of it- you don’t see shimmer in the photo, but you can see that it does give my arm a nice glow 😊✨

Hey there Welcome to Part 3 of my and Little Blue Anchor‘s Natural Beauty Series! In case you missed them, in Part 1 we shared a Vanilla Almond “Milkshake” and Coconut Vanilla Whipped Body Butter, and in Part 2, a Papaya Mango Smoothie and face and body scrub!

First off, thank you all so much for the great response we received to Part 1 of our Natural Beauty Series! Today’s post is a perfect compliment to last week’s because exfoliation and moisturizing of hand in hand for creating soft, hydrated skin.

In Part 2, we’re showing you how to exfoliate your skin naturally. We’ve got a delicious smoothie full of antioxidants to great glowing skin from the inside out, and a super simple and effective sugar and honey exfoliating recipe! Get ready to glow

Note: Papaya peels are amazing skin exfoliants as well! After you’ve scooped out the fruit, rub the inside of the peel over your skin. Leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing off. Follow up with your favourite moisturizer or oil!

Sugar and Honey Scrub

You will need….

1/2 cup of sugar (coconut sugar, sugar cane or brown sugar)

1/2 cup of coconut oil (softened but not liquid)

2 tablespoons of raw honey

4-6 aloe vera leafs (optional)

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix together. It’s easier to mix if your coconut oil is at room temperature instead of being liquid or too hard to blend.

One great thing about this scrub is that it exfoliates and moisturizes at the same time. No need to moisturize when you get out of the shower!

Store in a clean covered container and keep in dark space. Use within 2-3 weeks. *Note, don’t store the scrub inside of the shower. It gets too hot and the mixture will become liquid and hard to work with.

We’ve got Part 3 of the series coming up next Wednesday, so make sure you check back for more Natural Beauty goodness

We will be wrapping up this series with another giveaway, so be sure to keep an eye out for that!

This is Part 1 of a Natural Beauty blog post series that Carmen from Little Blue Anchor and I have created. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing out favourite homemade natural beauty products in combination with a smoothie recipe. We believe that what you put into your body is equally important as what you put into your body.

Whipped Coconut & Vanilla Body Butter

This recipe was inspired by my favourite vanilla body butter made by The Body Shop. I loved the smell but didn’t like the toxins that came with it.

Using a double boiler, melt all of the ingredients together in order listed. *If you don’t own a double boiler, use a pot with 1-2 cups of boiling water in it and place a stainless steel bowl inside the pot. It will work just the same.

Once the mixture has melted together, allow it to sit for about 10 minutes. Using a stand mixer or a hand held mixer, whip the body butter for about 3-4 minutes. It will look a bit runny, but place the mixture into your container of choice and allow it to sit for a half an hour.

Use it all over your body for luscious, hydrated skin. Store at room temperature for 8 weeks.. but trust us, you will run out before then.

Litte Blue Anchor will be joining My Spiritual Road Trip over the next few weeks to enlighten you with some recipes for home made beauty care. These remedies are made from natural and organic sources, and include recipes for the inside and the outside of the skin. We believe that what you put into and on your body can impact the health of your skin. There may be lots of great natural beauty care out there, but the truth is, it will most likely not be 100% natural unless you make it yourself.

I love using natural products, and I’ve been slowly transitioning all of my products over from chemical filled to natural over the last few years. There are some things that were easy to switch, like swapping store bought face wash for honey, where as other things were a little trickier.

Deodorant was one of those things- I mean it’s not really something you want to mess around with, you know? Plus most of the natural store bought ones kind of suck. I’ve purchased a lot of natural deodorants but never found one I was happy with, so I decided I would make my own, and went searching around on the internet. There were a lot of complicated looking recipes around, but I knew there had to be a simpler option, so I kept looking until I found this amazing, 3 ingredient recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots.

I’m not sure exactly, but I think I’ve been using this deodorant for almost two years now. I absolutely love it! I did transition into it, so when I first began trying it, I’d use it in the day, but if I was going out to the bars or going to the gym, I’d wear regular drug store stuff. I’m not a sweaty person, but I was just nervous and didn’t yet have enough faith in my homemade stuff.

Eventually though, I realized this stuff was the business, and got rid of my drug store deo, and now I exclusively use this home made stuff.

Try it out! You have nothing to lose, but a lot to gain (trust me, you do not want to be wearing toxic products every day). And actually winter is the perfect time to try it because we are generally less sweaty this time of year. I do think it can take a little while for your body to transition to a natural deodorant if it’s used to being plugged up with main stream aluminum filled anti perspirants, so just be patient if you don’t have amazing results the first few times you use it.

Oh and I should mention! You will not feel sweaty when you wear this. Some natural deodorants leave you sweaty buy just remove the odor, but not this one! The cornstarch helps to absorb moisture.

One final thought before I share the recipe: eating clean healthy foods is the best way to decrease body odor. Even if I don’t wear any deodorant, I don’t really smell because I’m eating healthy foods. When you’re eating a diet high in processed foods, your body has a lot more toxins to release, which is does through sweat. Basically, less toxins in = less toxins out.

Alrighty, I think I’ve had enough of talking about body odour! Here’s the recipe:

Smashed Peas and Carrots’ 3 Ingredient Deodorant Recipe

2-3 tbsp coconut oil

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/8 cup baking soda

*I generally double this recipe, but if you are trying it for the first time, you can start with a single batch.

Mix together the baking soda and cornstarch. If the coconut oil is solid, warm it up on the stove until it is soft and/or liquid (but not too hot). Mix oil into the powders and stir well. Stir occasionally until it is solid so the oil doesn’t separate from the powder.

Pour into a jar.

You’re done! Easy peasy, right?

After I finished making the deodorant, my brother and I decided to open a coconut I’d bought the day before and do a little photo shoot lol. I’m trying to step up my photo game and use an actual camera to take my blog photos rather than my iPhone. I’d been wanting to do this for awhile now, but I wasn’t ready to invest in a good camera, and I had no photography skills. I mentioned this to my brother, and he told me he had a really great camera, and since he was leaving for Basic Training, I could have it while he was away! Talk about synchronicity I’m still figuring out how to use it, but it’s a lot of fun, so here are a couple of shots

Opening our coconut (this took awhile…)

Success!

I love fresh coconuts so much! I mean they are usually not super fresh by the time they are shipped to Canada, but delicious none the less. Jesse hated it, so more for me

I’ve tried a lot (A LOT) of different natural hair care products. Some have been good and some have sucked. I’ve also tried the no-shampoo method and condition only methods (epic fails).

I can’t remember which one I was using last year, but it just was not cutting it, and I decided that I either needed to find a natural product or give up and go back to the regular stuff. I spent a ton of time online researching different hair care products (this was back in my desk jobs days :p ), and I came across Morrocco Method. The reviews online were awesome, and it was by far the most natural option I’d seen.

So that was last January, and I am now an official Morrocco Method devote. My hair has never felt softer or healthier (and I still dye it and use styling tools like a blow dryer and straightener). I’ve never in my life used a shampoo and not had to use conditioner after, but MM products are so nourishing I don’t need to condition (though I sometimes still do for added moisture). Also, I know that not only am I not putting any harmful chemicals on my skin, but that MM products are actually detoxing my hair and scalp! How cool is that?

I’m hooked!

Here’s a brief summary of MM in their words

Morrocco Method Int’lhas provided the world’s finest in raw, vegan and gluten-free hair care for more than 40 years. Each product is created using a synergistic blend of live, wildcrafted ingredients that detoxify and nourish your hair and scalp. Begin detoxing and enjoy beautiful, naturally luxurious hair with Morrocco Method products.

Morrocco Method is a system of hair care, so it’s not something that you use in conjunction with other products- it’s pretty much all or nothing, and it’s so worth it.

It’s not just the products that I love, it’s also the company’s philosophy. The founder, Anthony Morroco is a deeply spiritual person, and he brings this 100% into the company. I kid you not, I cried when I read his eBook (this is available online and shares his life’s journey). He is just so passionate about his work, and I really resonated with his story.

Shampoo and Conditioner Trial Packs

They have an array of awesome products, but if you’re just starting out, I recommend getting the shampoo and conditioner trials packs. The shampoo trial pack has all five shampoos, which you use in rotation, and the conditioner trial pack includes 2 bottled conditioners, 2 leave in conditioners, a deep conditioning oil, and a scalp detoxifier.

The products are concentrated, so you’re meant to dilute them with water, and the last an amazingly long time!

I mean it when I say that these are the best natural hair products I have ever used, and I highly highly recommend them!

For a limited time, I’m offering a discount code for 15% off all products! (If you’re ordering from Canada, I recommend ordering from one of their Canadian retailers-links are on the website).

The coupon code is Holistichair45

It’s available to all new customers and expires Dec. 27!

I love these products, but I will say that they are a commitment. There is a detox period for most people when they begin using the products when there hair make be greasier or drier than normal (this is similar to the detox symptoms that occur during a body cleanse- they toxins are leaving the hair body, which is awesome, but it causes some temporary side effects). Also, these products do not work well in conjunction with other hair products.